Water spade



June 20, 1967 I B. B. WEIR 3,326,306

WATER SPADE Filed Sept. 2, 1964 Fig. 6

INVENTOR.

BY BAS/AL B. WEIR United States Patent .0

3,326,306 WATER SPADE Basial B. Weir, Rte. 1, Box 380, Owen St., Callaway Addition, Alvin, Tex. 77511 Filed Sept. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 397,063 4 Claims. (Cl. 175207) This invention known as a water spade is an instrument designed and manufactured for the purpose of drilling holes in the earth manually in less time and with less physical effort than ever heretofore designed, manufactured, devised or used; and without damage to the surface of the ground. A hole can be drilled in ordinary soil three feet deep within thirty (30) seconds by hand and by any person with very little physical effort by use of this instrument. The instrument is particularly useful in drilling holes for watering and fertilizing the roots of small trees, shrubs, and other plants with deep roots. Such instrument can also be used to drill shallow Water wells by hand with little expense and physical effort, and in less time than any other instrument or device heretofore used or known.

FIG. 1 is a full-side view of the present invention, which particularly illustrates connection of the fluid supply means to a source of fluid;

FIG. 2 is a full-side view of the upper end of the present invention illustrating the handle for the grasping of of the invention in drilling a hole;

FIG. 3 is a side-view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1 which illustrates additional details of the blade means of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side-elevation view of alternative means extending the length of the water spade of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side-view of alternative blade means of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an end-view of the structure shown in FIG. 5 showing the relationship of the blade means to the staff; and,

FIG. 7 is a handle grip adapted to be placed on the handle means of FIG. 2.

Description and references to patent drawing Such instrument or device consists of a shaft 1 (FIG. 1) with a handle 9 (FIG. 2) connected at the top end thereof, both of which are constructed of metal pipe, or tubing, one-half /2) inch in diameter, more or less. The top end of the shaft is connected to the center of the handle by one-eighth A3) inch fillet 2 (FIG. 2), braze or weld. At the bottom end of the metal pipe shaft, opposite to the end to which the metal pipe handle is connected by welding, is a single, or double, blade or bit 3 (FIGS. 1-3-4) and 15 (FIGS. 5 and 6) approximately one-fourth 4) inch thick, more or less, and 2% inches long, more or less, shaped like an arrowhead and heretofore known or described as arrowhead cutter blade 3 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4). The outer edges of the bit or blade taper to a sharp point at approximately a sixty (60) degree angle. The blunt end of the arrowhead bit or blade is fitted into a slot 5 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5) cut into the end of the shaft. The arrowhead bit or blade is further secured to the end of the shaft by a weld or braze as 4 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5). To the side of the shaft (metal pipe or tubing) is welded a /2 inch coupling 6 (FIG. 1) approximately four (4) inches, more or less, 'below the handle-end of the shaft. To this coupling a inch hose "ice to a /2 inch pipe adapter connection 7 (FIG. 1) is attached an ordinary garden hose 8 (FIG. 1) for the purpose of running water through the shaft to remove cuttings and aid in the drilling process. The water 13 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5) enters the shaft below the handle, flows down through the shaft, and comes out at the cutter blade at the bottom of the hole. The handle 9 (FIG 2), consisting of one-half /2) inch pipe, or tubing, more or less, is approximately twelve inches in length. There are plastic handlebar grips 10 (FIGS. 2 and 7) on each end of the handle. The overall length of the water spade is forty inches, more or less, from the tip of the arrowhead or cutter blade to the top of the handle 1, 3 and 9 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

FIGS. 5 and 6 are two views directed to an alternative blade means 15 including four cutting edges as opposed to the two cutting edges shown in FIG. 3. The four cutting edges are preferably perpendicular to one another as shown in FIG. 6. Each edge is sharpened in the same manner of the device shown in FIG. 3 to enable the blade means to penetrate the soil. On rotation, the cutting blades excavate the soil in about the same manner with the exception of being more eflicient. Moreover, the cutting edges shown in FIG. 6 do not require the extent of rotation required for the two edged means since the blade means is more efficient.

The view of FIG. 6 illustrates location of the cutting edges relative to the passage in the shaft which permits the blades to be washed and irrigated by the fluid flow somewhat in the same manner indicated at the lower portions of FIG. 1.

The extension model of the above is used for drilling deeper holes and shallow waterwells, is exactly the same as the above except that the extension model contains a one-half /2) inch pipe coupling and nipple on the bottom end 12 and 11 (FIG. 4) and 14 (FIG. 5) approximately four inches, more or less, from the top of the bit for the purpose of connecting other pipe to extend the length of the shaft 1 (FIG. 4).

This Water spade is used by placing the bit or blade 3 and 15 (FIGS. 1 and 5) against the ground and by pushing moderately with both hands on the handle and by turning the shaft 1 (FIG. 1) to the right and to the left one-half turn in both directions. During such process an ordinary garden hose is connected to the adapter swivel and coupling attached to the side of the shaft as described above. During the drilling process Water flows through the shaft and over the arrowhead bit or blade which softens the soil and washes out the cuttings which makes the drilling of holes fast, eflicient and with little physical effort. Such instrument is simple and inexpensive to produce and is a time and labor saving device.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for drilling a hole in the ground utilizing the flow of water, comprising:

(a) an elongated hollow shaft providing a passage therein for flowing water;

(b) handle means at the upper end of said shaft and extending generally outwardly thereof for permitting a user of the apparatus to grasp said handle means and rotate same to impart rotation to said shaft;

(c) fluid supply means connected to the passage in said shaft at a point below said handle means for communicating fluid to said passage for downward flow in said shaft, said supply means including a generally outwardly directed fitting for receiving a fluid supply line thereto; and,

((1) blade means carried at the lower end of said shaft and positioned .relativethereto for fluid flow from the passage to wash and irrigate said blade means, said blade means being provided a point and sharp edges sloping to said point for engaging the soil and penetrating same in drilling a hole.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blade means includes at least two cutting edges sloping to the point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blade means includes at least four cutting edges sloping to the point.

4. The invention of claim 3 including a pipe coupling and nipple threadedly joined in said shaft for extending the length thereof.

Bertram 17-5--215 X Jones 175327 Agassiz 175412 X Walker 175-386 Kuhl 175'207 Dilts 111-7.1 Morasch 1117.1

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner,

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Exam-in er. 

1. APPARATUS FOR DRILLING A HOLE IN THE GROUND UTILIZING THE FLOW OF WATER, COMPRISING: (A) AN ELONGATED HOLLOW SHAFT PROVIDING A PASSAGE THEREIN FOR FLOWING WATER; (B) HANDLE MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING GENERALLY OUTWARDLY THEREOF FOR PERMITTING A USER OF THE APPARATUS TO GRASP SAID HANDLE MEANS AND ROTATE SAME TO IMPART ROTATION TO SAID SHAFT; (C) FLUID SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO THE PASSAGE IN SAID SHAFT AT A POINT BELOW SAID HANDLE MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING FLUID TO SAID PASSAGE FOR DOWNWARD FLOW IN SAID SHAFT, SAID SUPPLY MEANS INCLUDING A GENERALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED FITTING FOR RECEIVING A FLUID SUPPLY LINE THERETO; AND, (D) BLADE MEANS CARRIED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT AND POSITIONED RELATIVE THERETO FOR FLUID FLOW FROM THE PASSAGE TO WASH AND IRRIGATE SAID BLADE MEANS, SAID BLADE MEANS BEING PROVIDED A POINT AND SHARP EDGES SLOPING TO SAID POINT FOR ENGAGING THE SOIL AND PENETRATING SAME IN DRILLING A HOLE. 